Lubricator for steam-engine valves



(No Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

N. R. WEAVER.

LUBRIGAI'OR FOR STEAM ENGINE VALVES. No. 550,547. Patented Nov. 26,1895.

Mifikqwa jizzfezzior fie/267mm}: Waver,

(No Model.) '2 Sheets-sheet- 2.

N. R. WEAVER- LUBRICATOR FOR STEAM ENGINE VALVES. No. 550,547.

Patented Nov. 26, 1895.

ANDREW E,GRAHAMINUTWLHHQWASNINGI'DMD C UNITE STATES I P TENT OFFICE.

NORMAN R. WVEAVER, OF SELMA, ALABAMA.

LUBRICATOR FOR STEAM-ENGINE VALVE S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,547, dated November26, 1895.

' Application filed March 7, 1895. Serial No. 540,874. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN R. WEAVER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Selma, in the county of Dallas and State of Alabama, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Lubricators for Steam-EngineValves, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved lubricator for steam-engine valves,and has for its object to provide improved means for employing both thelive and exhaust steam for forcing the lubricant under pressure againstthe working portions of the piston -valves and their seats, and in suchmanner that the lubricant will be applied to the working parts only atand during such times as they are developing friction and only in suchquantities as are desirable, and to provide against waste or loss oflubricant by balancing the pressure of the steam upon the opposite sidesof the lubricantfeed devices during such time as the working parts arenot in the proper position for the reception of the lubricant.

To these ends my invention consists in the features and the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, anddefinitely pointed out in the claims following the description, duereference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification,wherein Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal centralsection of the steam-chest and a portion of the cylinder of asteam-engine, illustrating my improved lubricator applied thereto. Fig.2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asimilar view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a top plan View,partly in section, illustrating a modification.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the steam-cylinder ofa steam-engine provided with a steam-chest 2, in which is adapted to bereciprocated a slide-valve 3 of ordinary or usual construction. Thecylinder is provided with the steam-inlet ports 4 and 5 and exhaust-port6, as usual, and the steam-chest 2 with a steam-supply pipe 7communicating with a throttle-valve 8, that controls the admission ofsteam to the steamchest from the boiler in the well-known manner. Forthe sake of illustration Ihave shown the valve 3 as consisting of anordinary slidevalve of well-known form, having upon its 36 of thecylinder 1.

under side a recess 9, adapted to alternately afford communicationbetween the exhaustport and the steam-ports 4 and 5. The bridges 10 and11,which form the partitions between the exhaust-port 6 and thesteam-ports 4 and 5, are respectively provided with a series of verticalducts 12 and 13, which at their upper ends open directly beneath theunder side of the valve 3 and at their lower ends communicate withpassages 14 and 15. The passages 14 and 15 are connected bya passage 16,and the latter passage at one end is connected with a pipe 17, thatleads to the bottom of a reservoir 18. The reservoir 18 is arranged atone side of the steam-chest, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2, and at itsupper end is connected by means of a pipe 19 with the exhaust-port Boththe pipes 17 and 19 are provided with valves 20 and 21, which serve tocontrol the admission of exhauststeam to the reservoir and the dischargeof lubricant therefrom, and the reservoir 18 is also provided at itsupper end with a fillingorifice 22, closed by a valve or plug 23, bymeans of which the lubricant may be supplied to the reservoir. In asimilar manner live steam is employed to force lubricant against theunderside of the slide-valve 3 at the opposite ends of the throw of thelatter, as follows: In the Valve-seat of the cylinder upon the oppositesides of the steam-inlets 4 and 5 are formed two series of verticalducts 24 and 25, said ducts at their upper ends opening directly intothe interior of the valve-chest 2 and at their lower ends communicatingwith passages 26 and 27, that are united by a common passage 28, withwhich latter is connected one end of a pipe 29,which at its other end isconnected to the lower end of a reservoir 30, similar in all respects tothe reservoir 18, before described. A steam-pipe 31 communicates at oneend with the interior of the steam-chest and at its other end with theupper end of the reservoir 30. Valves 32 and 33 are arranged in thepipes 31 and 29 and serve to control the admission of steam to thereservoir 30 and the discharge of lubricant therefrom.

Having described the construction of my improved lubricator, theoperation is as follows: Steam is supplied to the steam-chest 2 by meansof the pipe 7 and throttle-valve 8 and the slide-valve 3 reciprocated byany suitable mechanism in the usual manner to alternately admit steam tothe opposite ends of the cylinder through the steam-ports 4 and 5 andpermit it to exhaust therefrom through the said ports and theexhaust-port 6. Assuming the parts to be in the position illustrated inFig. 1, the operation of the lubricating means is as follows: Steam willenter from the valve-chest 2 into the reservoir 30, above the lubricantcontained in the latter, through the pipe 31 and will force thelubricant,with a pressure equal to the pressurein the valve-chest,through the pipe 29, passages 28, 27,and 26,and up into the feed-ducts24 and 25. The ducts 21 being covered by the face of the valve 3, thelubricant will be forcibly pressed against said face and held in closecontact therewith as the valve traverses the open ends of said ducts. Onthe other side the ducts 25 are unobstructed at their upper ends and thelubricant would be discharged therefrom into the valve-chest were it notthat the steam bears against the columns of lubricant contained in saidducts with a balanced pressurethat is to say, the steam in thevalve-chest exerts precisely the same pressure against said columns oflubricant in the ducts that it does against the lubricant in thereservoir-and hence the lubricant is prevented from being forced up outof said ducts excepting when the valve covers the latter and thusremoves the pressure from the upper ends of the ducts, when it will beforced against the valve, as before described. The lubricant is fed tothe ducts 12 and 13 in the bridges in precisely the same manner. Theback-pressure of the exhaust-steam in the exhaust-port 6 is admitted bythe pipe 19 to the upper part of the reservoir 18, and the lubricant isthereby forced through the pipe 17 and passages 16, 15, and 1% into theducts 12 and 13. The lubricant is forced by said pressure ofexhaust-steam against the under side of the valve 3, while the columnsof lubricant in the ducts 12 are prevented from being discharged fromsaid ducts by the balanced pressure of the exhaust-steam in the mannerbefore described.

It will be readily apparent that when the valve 3 is shifted to reverseits position relative to the inlet and exhaust ports the action of thelive and exhaust steam on the lubricant in the feed-ducts will also bereversed.

Instead of forming each series of feed-ducts of several distinct ducts,I may substitute for each of said series of ducts a single duct of awidth nearly coextensive with the width of the valve, as shown in Fig.4. As shown in said Fig. 4, the bridges 10 and 11, arranged between theexhaust-port 6 and steam-ports 4 and 5, are respectively provided withsingle ducts 12 and 13, opening at their upper ends directly under theslide-valve, and connected by a passage 16* that communicates with thebottom of the reservoir 18. The upper end of said reservoir is connectedby a pipe 19 with the exhaust-port 6. Similar ducts 24 and 25 arearranged upon the opposite sides of the steam-ports 4 and 5 and areunited at their ends by corresponding ducts 2S and 28", the duct 28communicating by a pipe 2? with the lower end of the reservoir 30, and apipe 31 connecting the upper end of said reservoir with the steamspaceof the steam-chest. The operation is precisely the same as that beforedescribed, excepting that the lubricant in the ducts 28 and 28 is fed tothe under side of the slidevalve constantly as the valve movesthereover, the lubricant in the exposed or uncovered portions of theducts being held against discharge therefrom by the balanced pressure ofthe steam in the manner before described.

Constructed in the manner above described my improved lubricator isentirely free from moving parts of any kind whatsoever, thus avoidingall wear, friction, and liability of derangement or clogging of thepartsgand it may also be used with equal facility in connection with anordinary slide-valve, such as illustrated, or with valves of the Corlissor other well-known types, no especial form of valve being necessary,and it may therefore be applied to engines already in use for, as theconstruction of the valve is not material, the necessary ducts andpassages have only to be bored in the cylinder and the reservoirsconnected in position, making it equally applicable to either old or newengines.

The invention as above described is designed for use with a lubricantthat is heavier than water. However, in many cases it may be desirableto employ a lubricant that is lighter than water-sueh as oil, forexample and in such case the connections to the reservoirs 1S and 30should be reversed-that is to say, the steam being supplied to the res=ervoirs at the bottom of the reservoirs and the lubricant fed from theupper portion thereof. The operation remains the same.

I have shown the reservoirs 18 and 30 as being arranged in closeproximity to the valve-chest; but it will be manifest that theirlocation is immaterial and may be altered to suit circumstances.

Having described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. In a steam enginevalve lubricator, the combination with the cylinder, steam chest andshifting valve, of feed ducts adapted to alternately communicate withthe working face of the valve and with the exhaust port of the cylinderof a reservoir for the lubricant, and passages connecting said reservoirwith said feed ducts and with the exhaust port respectively,substantially as described.

2. V In a steam engine valve lubricator, the combination with thecylinder, steam chest and shifting valve, of feed ducts adapted toalternately communicate with the working face of the valve and with thesteam space of the steam chest, a reservoir for lubricant, passagesconnecting said reservoir with said feed ducts and with the steam spaceof the steam chest, feed ducts adapted to alternately communicate withthe working face of the valve and with the exhaust port, a reservoircommunicating with said feed ducts, and passages connecting saidreservoir with said feed ducts and with the exhaust port respectively,substantially as described.

3. In a steam engine valve lubricator, the combination with the cylinderhaving the steam ports 4 and 5 and the intermediate exhaust port 6, thechanneled bridges 10 and 11 arranged intermediate the said steam portsand the exhaust port, said channels at their upper ends communicatingwith the Working face of the valve controlling said ports, the valve 3for alternately connecting the steam ports with the exhaust port, apassage 16 connecting said channels, a reservoir 18 for lubricant, apipe 17 connecting the passage 16 with the lower end of said reservoir,and a pipe 19 connecting the upper end thereof with the exhaust port 6,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

NORMAN R. WEAVER. Witnesses:

J. SYnRoBBINs, GEO. WM. LEwIs.

